Impact

Impact Story

Let's Share a Story - Literacy Support Project for Indigenous Children

Summary

Let's Share a Story - literacy support for Indigenous children project, targeting Indigenous children in the early childhood and primary age bracket, raised awareness of the importance of encouraging and promoting the joys of reading and yarning with children. The project was undertaken in consultation with Aboriginal services and organisations and key contacts within Aboriginal communities. The project complemented literacy programs in pre-schools, schools and child care centres and community centres.

<p>The “Let’s Share a Story” project aimed to encourage and enhance reading and yarning for children from birth to 12 years of age and involved collaboration between the Illawarra South Coast Branch CBCA (ISCCBCA) and the UOW in consultation with local Aboriginal elders, services, organisations and children. The ‘Let’s Share a Story’ booklet is packed with facts and easy-to-follow tips to help children with their reading. Ideas cover children from babies to upper primary age. The benefits of yarning with children, and reading with parents, siblings, grandparents, Aunties and Uncles are also discussed. Let’s Share a Story continues to be a valuable resource in the community and, more generally.<br /><br />The booklet features elements from a commissioned painting “<em><strong>Captured Images of Culture</strong></em>” by well-known local Aboriginal artists Aunty Lorraine Brown and Aunty Narelle Thomas. In the words of the artists, “<em>The Painting tells of images of the past and present A culture so old The past and present come together Our culture will always remain</em>”. <br /><br />Following publication of the booklet, the painting was donated by the ISCCBCA to the UOW Art Collection, and is displayed prominently at Early Start, to inspire the students who are our future early childhood professionals.<br /><br />This resource was distributed as part of a literacy package to community health centres and pre-schools throughout the Illawarra, including:</p><ul><li>Woonona Early Childhood Health Centre/Family Care Cottage Woonona</li><li>Miinya Biynag Boori, Midwifery & Family Health Centre, Shellharbour Hospital</li><li>Nowra Early Childhood Health Centre</li><li>Binji Boori, Shoalhaven AMICHS, Nowra</li><li>Noogaleek Children’s Centre, Berkeley</li><li>Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service Medical Centre, Dapto and Wollongong</li><li>Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation Community Centre</li><li>Mount Warrigal Supported Playgroup</li><li>Koonawarra Supported Playgroup</li></ul><br />Delivery of packages to Noogaleek and the supported playgroups involved “share and read” sessions, were conducted by CBCA members, in collaboration with UOW education students with connections to the local Aboriginal community. These students were guided in visiting the centres, outlining key messages from the booklet and reading stories.<br /><br />Bookmarks providing links to resource material were produced for easy dissemination at local community events. Copies of the resource have been catalogued by UOW library, and the NSW State Library has archived the booklet to ensure access is preserved into the future.<br /><p>Let’s Share a Story continues to be a valuable resource in the community and, more generally, the booklet and bookmarks can be used as a ‘talking point’ to promote awareness about the benefits of reading to children. Let’s Share a Story also inspired and encouraged adults in the community to not only read to their children but also for their own enjoyment.</p><p>Wollongong City Library was provided with a digital version of the resource, and funded the printing of an additional 1000 booklets, which will be distributed to local libraries into the future, ensuring the sustainability of this project. Since project completion, other community groups, including Careways Community, have requested, and been provided with, copies of the booklet.<br /><br />The project continues to be managed by our community partner, the ISCCBCA. Resource material and book packages have now been distributed between Helensburgh and Nowra, with plans in place to continue distribution further south. Aspects of the project are largely self-sustaining as the resource is freely available online.<br /><br /></p><p></p>

Field of Research

Countries / Regions

Beneficiaries

Beneficiary

Quantification

Description

External Partners

Evidence of Impact

Evidence

Description

UOW Centres / Programs

UOW Researchers / Collaborators

Supervision

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Degree

Research Title

Advisee

Doctor of Philosophy

Biofilm modelling for Group A Streptococcus pathogenesis in recurrent Pharyngitis

Vyas, Heema

Doctor of Philosophy

Characterisation of the role of M-family proteins to GAS biofilm formation and innate immune resistance.

Proctor, Emma-Jayne

Doctor of Philosophy

Mapping Programmed cell death of neutrophils in response to Group A Streptococcal infection

Williams, Jonathan

Doctor of Philosophy

Characterising the Interaction Between Group A Streptococcus and Hyaluronin

McEwan, Tahnee

Doctor of Philosophy

Investigating the Interaction Between Group A Streptococcus and the Human Glycome

Impact

Impact Story

Let's Share a Story - Literacy Support Project for Indigenous Children

Summary

Let's Share a Story - literacy support for Indigenous children project, targeting Indigenous children in the early childhood and primary age bracket, raised awareness of the importance of encouraging and promoting the joys of reading and yarning with children. The project was undertaken in consultation with Aboriginal services and organisations and key contacts within Aboriginal communities. The project complemented literacy programs in pre-schools, schools and child care centres and community centres.

<p>The “Let’s Share a Story” project aimed to encourage and enhance reading and yarning for children from birth to 12 years of age and involved collaboration between the Illawarra South Coast Branch CBCA (ISCCBCA) and the UOW in consultation with local Aboriginal elders, services, organisations and children. The ‘Let’s Share a Story’ booklet is packed with facts and easy-to-follow tips to help children with their reading. Ideas cover children from babies to upper primary age. The benefits of yarning with children, and reading with parents, siblings, grandparents, Aunties and Uncles are also discussed. Let’s Share a Story continues to be a valuable resource in the community and, more generally.<br /><br />The booklet features elements from a commissioned painting “<em><strong>Captured Images of Culture</strong></em>” by well-known local Aboriginal artists Aunty Lorraine Brown and Aunty Narelle Thomas. In the words of the artists, “<em>The Painting tells of images of the past and present A culture so old The past and present come together Our culture will always remain</em>”. <br /><br />Following publication of the booklet, the painting was donated by the ISCCBCA to the UOW Art Collection, and is displayed prominently at Early Start, to inspire the students who are our future early childhood professionals.<br /><br />This resource was distributed as part of a literacy package to community health centres and pre-schools throughout the Illawarra, including:</p><ul><li>Woonona Early Childhood Health Centre/Family Care Cottage Woonona</li><li>Miinya Biynag Boori, Midwifery & Family Health Centre, Shellharbour Hospital</li><li>Nowra Early Childhood Health Centre</li><li>Binji Boori, Shoalhaven AMICHS, Nowra</li><li>Noogaleek Children’s Centre, Berkeley</li><li>Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service Medical Centre, Dapto and Wollongong</li><li>Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation Community Centre</li><li>Mount Warrigal Supported Playgroup</li><li>Koonawarra Supported Playgroup</li></ul><br />Delivery of packages to Noogaleek and the supported playgroups involved “share and read” sessions, were conducted by CBCA members, in collaboration with UOW education students with connections to the local Aboriginal community. These students were guided in visiting the centres, outlining key messages from the booklet and reading stories.<br /><br />Bookmarks providing links to resource material were produced for easy dissemination at local community events. Copies of the resource have been catalogued by UOW library, and the NSW State Library has archived the booklet to ensure access is preserved into the future.<br /><p>Let’s Share a Story continues to be a valuable resource in the community and, more generally, the booklet and bookmarks can be used as a ‘talking point’ to promote awareness about the benefits of reading to children. Let’s Share a Story also inspired and encouraged adults in the community to not only read to their children but also for their own enjoyment.</p><p>Wollongong City Library was provided with a digital version of the resource, and funded the printing of an additional 1000 booklets, which will be distributed to local libraries into the future, ensuring the sustainability of this project. Since project completion, other community groups, including Careways Community, have requested, and been provided with, copies of the booklet.<br /><br />The project continues to be managed by our community partner, the ISCCBCA. Resource material and book packages have now been distributed between Helensburgh and Nowra, with plans in place to continue distribution further south. Aspects of the project are largely self-sustaining as the resource is freely available online.<br /><br /></p><p></p>

Field of Research

Countries / Regions

Beneficiaries

Beneficiary

Quantification

Description

External Partners

Evidence of Impact

Evidence

Description

UOW Centres / Programs

UOW Researchers / Collaborators

Supervision

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Degree

Research Title

Advisee

Doctor of Philosophy

Biofilm modelling for Group A Streptococcus pathogenesis in recurrent Pharyngitis

Vyas, Heema

Doctor of Philosophy

Characterisation of the role of M-family proteins to GAS biofilm formation and innate immune resistance.

Proctor, Emma-Jayne

Doctor of Philosophy

Mapping Programmed cell death of neutrophils in response to Group A Streptococcal infection

Williams, Jonathan

Doctor of Philosophy

Characterising the Interaction Between Group A Streptococcus and Hyaluronin

McEwan, Tahnee

Doctor of Philosophy

Investigating the Interaction Between Group A Streptococcus and the Human Glycome